Intermediate Bulk Containers (IBCs) are large size containers that may be used for storing and transporting a number of different items. Typically, an IBC is a generally cubic container having a base, fixed or foldable side walls and a top. When IBCs are used for the transport of liquid products, a liner bag is utilized within the container to hold the liquid. A liner bag may also be used for transporting flowable powdered or granulated solids. The liner bag contains an inlet for filling the bag, which may be placed at the top of the liner bag, and an outlet for emptying the bag. The outlet may be a simple gland, with no moving parts, or may include a valve. The valve may be closable during emptying so that complete emptying of the IBC does not need to take place at once, and may be re-opened at a later time to continue the emptying process.
The gland that is traditionally used with IBCs includes a membrane which prevents premature discharging of the liner bag when the cap of the outlet is opened. The membrane is pierced with a cutter pusher, which is a generally cylindrical tool having a serrated edge that can pierce the membrane. The cutter pusher helps to prevent the liner bag from being sucked into the outlet, however the liner bag may become snagged on the serrated edge, potentially causing a leak in the bag.
Current valves used in IBC liner bags are susceptible to blockage during emptying, because the liner bag wall becomes drawn into the valve as a result of a drop in pressure within the bag as the contents are discharged. When the valve becomes blocked in this way by the liner wall that is sucked into it, the blockage must be manually cleared for discharging of the liner bag to continue. This results in equipment downtime and, potentially, contamination of the liner bag contents. Contamination (or potential contamination) is a major problem when a container such as an IBC is used to transport liquids designed for human or animal consumption as typically the entire contents of the container must be destroyed due to the risk of contamination if the liner bag is breached. The valves in current use in IBC liner bags are also expensive, and their use is not widespread due to the costs for a single-use application.
It would be beneficial to provide a valve which has protection against the liner bag becoming entangled in the valve. It would also be beneficial for the valve to be low-cost and simple to manufacture and operate.
The present invention is directed to alleviating one or more of the aforementioned problems, and meeting one or more of the above-identified needs.